


PARENTAL GUIDANCE

by mleigh1969



Category: CrissColfer - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 04:40:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1027330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mleigh1969/pseuds/mleigh1969
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Relationships are hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	PARENTAL GUIDANCE

                Cerina Criss stood by the sink drying the last dish from dinner and putting it away in the cupboard. The music of Nat King Cole playing softly in the front room. She smiled to herself and basked in the stillness and calm of her home.

                When the phone rang Cerina took in the caller ID and happily picked up the receiver.

                “Hi Baby!”

                “Mama…..”

                “Darren, what’s wrong?”

                “I’m going to lose him mama….”

                “Oh sweetheart – what happened?”

                “Are…Are you and papa going to be home this weekend?”

                “Yes, we will be here.”

                “Can I come home?”

                “You don’t ever need to ask that sweetheart – this will always be a safe place for you.”

                “I’m going to book a flight – I will be there tonight”

                “Darren Where is Chris?”

                “He’s out…..We just needed…..space I guess.”

                “You are always welcome to come Darren – but please don’t leave without telling him where you are going.”

                “Yes mam. I’ll see you soon.”

                “We will be waiting.” 

Cerina hung up the phone and immediately picked it up again to dial the now memorized number.

\--------------------

Darren boarded a plane at 5:35pm, having left a note for Chris:

                “Hi – I’m going out for the weekend – be back early Sunday so we can talk J Love You! D”

\---------------------

                “Hi mama – I’m getting my rental car now – be there in less than an hour.”

                “Drive safely baby!”

                “Yes mam.”

\----------------------------

When Darren unlocked the front door he was immediately surrounded by the smells and sounds he missed dearly. Charles Criss crossed to his son and caught him in a tight embrace. Darren dropped his head to his father’s shoulder (one of the few people he was around these days who’s shoulder was lower than his) and took his first deep breath in what felt like forever. He felt safe and wrapped in security in the arms of the man who had been so strong for him so many times as a little boy. He knew he made the right decision to come home if even for just a short while.

                “I love you son. I’m glad you’re here.”

                “I love you too papa.”

                “Your mom is in the kitchen waiting for you.”

Darren walked into the kitchen to find Cerina pulling the whistling kettle off of the stove.

                “What will it be little man?” She asked with an affection.

Darren smiled at the endearment thinking back to his childhood and adolescence. All the nights she just knew that what he needed was someone to talk to. Each time she heated up the water and asked that same question.

                “Hot chocolate please.”

                “Hot chocolate it is.”

Cerina crossed to the cupboard where the mugs were kept and turned to Darren with a smile. He was already by her side in anticipation of the practiced move that came next. She opened the doors and he reached up and pulled their mugs from the top shelf (she kept them there just for the two of them – just for these moments) He hadn’t needed the step stool to reach them in years. The warmth of that memory washed over him and brought the first real smile he can remember in days.

The chocolate stirred and the marshmallows floating so thick on top of Darren’s that the chocolate is barely visible,they crossed to the table and sat down opposite each other.

They sat in comfortable silence as the warm liquid filled them. Cerina Criss was nothing if not a patient woman.

She understood the men in her life and how each one needed her to approach.

 Darren was always the emotional one. He felt things on a heightened level. Successes and failures, even if not his own, were personal. Cerina understood he was much like a wounded animal – it was best to let him make the first move.

Finally when he was ready he took a stuttering breath and made eye contact.

                “I can’t lose him mama.”

                “Why do you think you will?”

                “It’s just getting too hard. It’s such a mess.”

                “Do you love him?”

                “Yes, of course.”

                “Does he love you?”

                “Yes.”

                “Then that’s what you hold onto Darren – nothing else counts.”

                “I know – but it’s just so…”

                “Hard.”

                “Yes.”

Cerina reached across the table and took Darren’s hands in her own. She looked at him as the tears began to glisten in his eyes.

                “There is a place, known as Soul mate city. You can only enter with your one and true love. It is a beautiful place where time is measured in seasons and years. The colors are vibrant and bold. The sidewalks practically glisten like they were sprinkled with glitter. Everyone there walks hand in hand with their true love. They communicate with their eyes and simple gestures as much as with words – they understand each other in such a way that each one functions to keep the other happy and safe. It’s a wonderful city. But,  you can only enter if granted access. There is only one door into the city. It is blocked by a mound on the outside of the city wall that is as tall as it is wide. The only way the mound can be moved is if the proposed soul mates are willing to get down on their hands and knees and move the mound out of the way. The mound however is comprised of the smelliest, slimiest, rotten and formidable pile of garbage that has ever been collected. It can only be moved a piece at a time. It is hard, it is exhausting, it is never easy.”

                “What if you dig it all out and the door doesn’t open.”

                “If you make it to the door – it always opens.”

Cerina rose and wrapped her arm around Darren’s shoulders and kissed his forehead.

                “I love you baby.”

                “I love you too mama.”

\---------------------------

                That night Darren slept restlessly as he desperately dug at a pile of garbage that he saw no end to. Just as he would successfully make a small clearing more garbage would fall into its place. He fought and fought with tears running down his face, but no headway was being made and the hope of reaching the door seemed to fade in the distance. 

                Suddenly he felt a hand join his – the fingers intertwined and a hope ran through his body and re-energized his belief in what seemed to be the impossible. The two worked together in almost perfect sync as Darren finally fell into a peaceful sleep.

\---------------------------

                When the morning light began to spill through the curtains Darren startled awake when he felt a light touch sweep hair off of his forehead. His eyes shot open,  and for a moment he forgot where he was when a pair of beautiful blue eyes greeted him with a smile.

                “Good morning” Said Chris 

                “Hi.” Darren sat up, turned to face Chris and crossed his legs in front of him. “Don’t take this wrong, but what are you….?”

                “Your mom called me last night. And, my mom called me. ” Said Chris, as he mimicked Darren’s movements and know sat with his knees touching Darren’s. “ I arrived around 1am. I came in here about two. You were pretty restless. I thought you knew I was here when you held my hand.”

                “I thought that was a dream.”

                “I’m so sorry.”

                “No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I let it get this bad. I don’t know how to make it better Chris. I don’t know how to fix this.” 

                Chris reached out and lifted Darren’s head so their eyes met. “We fix it together. I don’t care how many pieces of wilted lettuce, or moldy banana peels, or grains of coffee grounds I have to dig out of the way – I will not quit if you don’t”

                “I don’t want to quit. I just feel like……..”

                “Like, you can’t breathe.” Offered Chris.

                Darren shook his head and replied, “Oxygen seems so thick when this (indicating between them) isn’t…”

                “I know. We need to remember that we are in this together.”

                “You’re not going to start singing are you?”

                “Darren.” Chris warned. “Don’t be a shit I was being serious.”

                “I know. Sorry. It just happens. Wait… Did you make an analogy about digging out garbage?”

                “I am pretty convinced now that our parents are in cahoots. You heard about soul mate city too right?”

                “Yeah.” Darren laughed and smiled so it reached his eyes.

                “Do you think we can make it?”

                “I don’t think we have a choice. There is no one else I want to walk the glistening sidewalks –“

                “-sprinkled with glitter.” Chris finished.

                “Holy shit – they are working together. When did our parents get so fucking smart?”

                “They were always smart – we just pulled our heads out of our asses and listened.”

                “Can you stay the day with me here – there are still some secret things I would like to show you about my city.” Asked Darren, almost shyly.

                “You are supper cute when you’re nervous.” Darren’s eyes shot open and he started to speak, but Chris cut him off. “I know my Kurt is showing – but you are.”

                “So you’re mine for the rest of the day?

                “No.” Said Chris, with a finalizing tone that startled Darren. Then he smiled and added, “I’m yours for the rest of our lives.”

\--------------------------------------

Cerina was finishing up the dinner dishes as she watched Darren and Chris out on the back porch swing. The hands between them intertwined and their heads resting on each others. When the phone rang she read the caller id.

                “Hello Karyn, How are you?”

                “I’m great Cerina. How are the boys?”

Cerina looked out the window and smiled fondly. “Determined to keep digging.”

                “Excellent... So are we still on for next weekend?”


End file.
